Wireless communication systems are heavily relied upon by public safety agencies, such as police departments, fire departments, and emergency rescue operations, to name a few. In the public safety arena, wireless communication systems are typically embodied as two-way radios operating in either a trunked mode of operation or a conventional mode of operation. In trunked systems, a limited number of communication channels are shared/switched amongst a much larger number of subscribers, via an infrastructure of repeaters and base stations, to facilitate efficient use of the system's communication resources. In conventional systems, which typically have fewer subscriber units than trunked systems, a number of communication channels are shared amongst a number of subscribers using one or more dedicated talkgroups, without the use of switching controls in the infrastructure.
In both trunked and conventional systems, portable two-way radios, also referred to as subscriber units, are provisioned with a unique user ID and talkgroup. The user ID identifies an individual or a role that may be performed by one or more individuals. User ID provisioning can be challenging when there are more users than radios within the system as well as anytime a user changes subscriber units or roles. As for the provisioning of talkgroups, when a group call targets a specific user of a talkgroup (for example “Command calling Engine 20,” there is no current means of ensuring that the targeted radio received the group call, or to know if the user of the targeted radio heard the call. Furthermore, when a group call targets a specific user of a talkgroup, there is no current means of determining whether the user is on a wrong channel or a different channel. These challenges encountered with user ID provisioning and talkgroup allocation make it difficult for subscriber units to be shared or for the user of a subscriber unit to assume a different role.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved communication system that enables subscriber units to be shared amongst different users and allows users to assume different roles.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. Apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the various embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.